Ventilator for vehicles



june2 2,1937. E. J. CONLEY Em m ma VENTILATOR FOR VEHICLES Filed Jan.14, 1936 l I INVENTOR? 0M M4 1- "My, BY

km; Jr 62):.

Patented June 22, 1937 A UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VENTILATOR FORVEHICLES Edwin J. Conley and Harry J. Menzies,

' New York, N. Y.

Application January 14, 1936, Serial No. 59,009

7 Claims.

to enable a gentle and continuous renewal of the air in the car while itis in motion so as to remove, or prevent the accumulation of smoke,

15 gas and dust, and without sensible change of the normal air pressureor the creation of diagreeable currents of air, or increase or loweringof the temperature within the body of the car.

To this end, we provide for the reg'ulable with- 20 drawal of the airfrom within the body of the car and the regulable admission of outsideair, both being governed so that the withdrawal of air may becompensated,-under control of the car occupants, by admission of freshair in such manner as to maintain substantially unchanged theatmospheric conditions within the car body when the car is in motion.

The invention is embodied in a form which The form of the inventionherein illustrated and described, is merely illustrative and may bemodified in various ways without departing from the principles of theinvention as set forth 40 in the claims. The ventilating means showncomprise a frame fitting in a window opening of the car, usually in adoor, a hood or housing having its outer vertical surface inclined tothe longitudinal axis of the car in such manner that, 45 when the car isin forward motion,- the air at the side of the car is deflected outward,and a drop in pressure occurs at the rear of the housing, which is opento allow the air within the car to pass to equalize such pressure drop,and 50 an opening forward of the hood and between it and the front sideof the window opening through which outside air may pass to the interiorof the car to take the place of the air drawn out through the hood andthus cause a constant re- 55 placing of the air within the car byoutside air to maintain it constantly at the condition, as totemperature and purity, of the air outside of the car. The width of theair inlet'opening forward of the housing is regulable by means of asliding panel having means of arresting it in positions intermediate itsend positions, and the area of the air outlet opening at rear of thehousing is preferably also controlled, by means adjustable by the caroccupant, to co-act with the air inlet opening in reaching anair-exchange corresponding to the requirements of the moment. Theseconditions will be affected by the wind and car velocities anddirection, the temperature and moisture outside and inside the car, therelative purity and-freedom from smoke and dust inside and outside'thecar, etc.

,Other features of the invention will appear in the followingspecification and will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing,

' Figure 1 is a perspective view of part of anautomobile showing ourinvention applied to the left hand front door window opening.

Figure 2 isa horizontal sectional view through the door and ventilator,the plane of section being at an intermediate point between the top andbottom of the window opening.

Figure 3 is a vertical section on a plane indicated by the line 3-3,Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the lower part of theframe of a ventilator of modified form.

An automobile body is indicated at 5, the parts 'shownindicating astreamline form now prevalent. The invention is shown applied to thewindow opening 6 of the left-hand front door I. A conventional guide andholding member 8 for the top and sides of the vertically sliding glasswindow 9 is shown, the latter shown in Figure 3 dropped into the usualpocket ill in the lower part of the door. The window frame H is rigidwith the inner and outer plates [2 of the lower part of the door, andthe molding [3 for holding the edge of the upholstery I4 is secured tothe door frame so asto leave between it and the door frame a space,extending all around the window opening which affords a seat for theventilator frame l5 when itis slipped into place. The molding i3 at oneside of the window op'en-v ing may be loosened for this purpose, or theparts of the door and ventilator frame may be flexible to yield enoughto enable the ventilator frame to be slipped in and out. The ventilatorframe has, in cross-section an approximately U shape, with outwardlyflared sides to facilitate this action. When in position the ventilatorframe is closely held by the rounded top and sides of the door frame andmolding to avoid rattling. At bottom, dependence may be had on theraising of the glass window 9 to assist in holding the ventilator frameI! in its seat between the door frame and upholstery molding. As alreadyindicated, our ventilator comprises 10 an aspirator for withdrawing airfrom the interior of the car and a valve member for supplying outsideair to take the place of that withdrawn and these two members are soassociated as to be under the control of the car operator 16 and to bestco-operate in producing the effect of constantly removing the air in thecar, the rate of interchange being varied as required by the varyingconditions, as temperature, wind velocity,

direction of movement, car occupancy, etc. 20 In the form illustratedboth exhaust and inlet members are supported on the ventilator frame,the former rearward'of the latter, this having been demonstrated to bethe arrangement most effective in promoting an interchange of airdeflecting glass plate and the horizontal sealing walls at top andbottom cover the rear part of the window opening-and being open at therear form an air exhausting, hood. Thus a drop in air pressure occurs inrear of the hood i6, i1 when the car is in forward motion, causing theair within the car to flow by suction out through the confinedrearwardly opening passage between walls l6, II. The glass deflectingplate is preferably supported at the edges of the horizontal walls I! bya metallic. frame II, which may be constructed as illustrated in the:drawing. The ventilator frame l5, top and bottom sealing members i1, i1,deflector plate It andthe metallic frame It ofthe deflecting plate forma single rigid unit, not rattling and sealed to allow no interferencewith the suction of the hood.

To enable the regulation of the air exhaust I preferably employ a valveI! which when the ventilator is applied to cars of current design,

with much curved window corners, may most conveniently be so mounted, asshowh in Figure -2, as-to swing counterclockwise to close the airexhaust opening, and in designs having more closely rectangular windowforms, be mounted so asshown in Figure 4 to close by moving in cloth--wise direction. The valve is pivoted on a hingerod 20 mounted in thewalls I! or in other suitable place. It has a preferably'spring-pressedmanually operated catch 2i engaging a series of 05 holes or notches 22in the bottom wall if, so that the width of the exhaust opening may beset and maintained. It also has preferably a soft sealing member 23, ofrubber, plush'or the like to bear against the inside surface of thedeflecting 70 wall It inan'y position. 7

The aspirator member of our ventilator above described-is located in theventilator frame sufliciently removed from the front of said frame toleave an air passage 24 of suflicient area to allow,

7 when entirely open, passage of air to the interior 2 aoseast have beenfound satisfactory in practice. The

cross s'ectional U form of the ventilator frame provides :a support andguideway 25 for a horizontally sliding panel 28, preferably of 81888.1."

whose upper and lower edges, engage at top and bottom in such guidewayin any position to which the panel is adjusted. When inthe most forwardposition, the front edge of the panel engages in the guideway in thefront member of u the ventilator frame, effectively sealing the airinlet passage. The front edge of the panel'is vertical or at an angle tothe vertical, and curved or straight to correspond with the marginalline of the opening established by the shape of the as window andventilator frame.

A thumb piece 21 is flxed to the sliding panel 28, and a preferablyspring-operated manually controlled latch or bolt 2| may be brought intoengagement with any desired hole or socket, of .il a series 29 of such,to adjust the width of the air inlet opening or lock it in do position.when both valve is and panel 20 are closed and locked, access to the carthrough the ventilator is effectively prevented and the car doors may.80 b'elockedintheusualway.

The panel 26 slides horizontally past and close to the inside of theforward end of the deflecting plate It and a soft rubber, plush or thelike strip at is applied to the edge. of the deflecting plate 86 I6adiacentto the panel 28 to seal the ventilator at this point by slidingcontact with panel 28 and" prevent rattling, by its cushioning effect.

We claim: v

1. A ventilator for the side window of a mov-v A0 ing vehicle, having incombination an air deflecting hood opening rearward outside the vehicleand with its forward end substantially in the plane of the vehicle side,and a panel mounted to slide horizontally inside of and in engagement 45V with the said forward end of the hood to close the window forward ofthe hood or open it.for ventilation or signaling.

2. A ventilator for the side windowof a moving vehicle, having incombination anair deflecting hood opening rearward outsidethe vehiclevand with'its forward end substantially in the plane of the vehicle side,a panel mounted to slide horizontally inside and adjacent to the forwardend of the hood, and movable across the 58 window opening forward of thehood to close or open said opening, and manually controlled means for'holding the panel in varying positions.

- 3. A ventilator for the side window of a moving vehicle, having incombination a ventilator 00 I frame to engage the edges of a windowopening. a hood opening rearwardly outside the vehicle and terminatingat. its forward end in rear of the front of the window opening, saidhood ing a deflecting plate and sealing walls at top as and bottomrigidly uniting the plate to the ventilator frame, and a panel mountedto slide horizontally in the ventilator frame to cover the windowopening forward of the hood and inside of and in engagement with theforward edge of the 10 hood.

4. A ventilator for the side window of a moving vehicle, having incombination a ventilator frame to engage the edges of a window opening,ahoodopeningrearwardlyoutsidethevehieieil admission of air to thevehicle, a ventilator frame and terminating at its forward end in rearof the front of the window opening. a panel mounted to slidehorizontally in the ventilator frame in engagement with the front edgeof the hood. and

5 a sealing and cushioning strip'on said edge adjacent the panel.

5. A ventilator for the side window of a moving vehicle, having incombination a ventilator frame to engage the edges of a window opening,

10 a hood opening rearwardly outside the vehicle and terminating at itsforward end substantially in the plane of the vehicle side and in rearof the front of the window opening, a panel mounted to slide in thewindow opening in front of the hood 15 and having means for holding itin varying positions, a valve pivoted within the rear of the hood tocontrol the opening thereof, and manually controlled means for holdingthe valve in varying positions.

20 6. A ventilator for the side window of a mo ing vehicle, comprisingin combination a horizontally sliding panel. operating to close or openthe forward part of the window to control the having its top and sidesof u shape in crosssection to engage the window frame and hold and guidesaid panel, and a rearwardly opening deflecting hood covering the windowopening in rear of the panel, and terminating forward near the plane ofmovement of the panel.

' closing the space at top and bottom between the ventilator frame andthe deflecting plate. and a panel movably supported in said guidewaysinside the forward end of said hood and guided in its fore and aftmovement in contact with the forward edge of the hood.

- EDWIN J. CONLEY.

HARRY -J. MENZIES.

